Quick connector
By designing the bracket and base of the quick connector, and utilizing the locking head in conjunction with the rotating seat of the biasing device, the problem of quickly fixing and stably connecting portable electronic devices on the support was solved, achieving a simple and durable connection effect.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-03
AI Technical Summary
In the existing technology, carrying portable electronic devices is inconvenient and poses safety hazards, especially when riding a bicycle or driving, as it is not possible to quickly and stably fix them to the support.
A quick connector is designed, including a bracket and a base. The bracket engages with the base's biasing device and rotating seat via a locking head, enabling a 90-degree rotation switch of the locking component to ensure quick fixation and stable connection of electronic devices.
It enables quick connection and stable fixation of portable electronic devices on the support, maintains the stability of the device under vibration or shaking, and is easy to operate and durable.
Smart Images
Figure CN121794518A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a quick connector, and more particularly to a quick connector for connecting small electronic devices. Background Technology
[0002] Small or portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, portable speakers, and e-readers, are increasingly becoming integrated into people's daily lives. These devices allow people to access various information and enjoy audiovisual services anytime, anywhere. However, carrying portable electronic devices while driving or cycling can be inconvenient or dangerous, and may violate laws and regulations. Currently, there is a need for quick-connectors for small electronic devices, such as those used on bicycle handlebars, to rapidly place or secure them to nearby supports. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a quick connector that is simple in structure and easy to operate, so as to quickly fix or support electronic devices (especially small electronic devices, such as mobile phones, portable speakers, e-books, personal digital assistants, etc.) to other support components, such as bicycle handlebars, or even the user's limbs.
[0004] According to the application, a quick connector is provided, comprising a bracket and a base, wherein the bracket is configured to be detachably fixed to a support, and the base is configured to be fixed to an item to be supported, such as a small electronic device. The bracket includes a locking head having a locking member having a first shape having a first dimension along a first direction and a second dimension along a second direction, the first dimension being different from the first dimension of the locking member, and the first direction and the second direction being coplanar and orthogonal to each other. The base includes an outer cover defining a locking space for receiving the locking member and including an opening having a shape corresponding to the locking member. The base also includes a biasing device that, when the locking member is inserted into the opening, biases the locking member in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. When the locking member is inserted through the opening against the biasing force of the biasing device, the locking member can be switched between an insertion position and a locking position by rotating 90 degrees. In the insertion position, the locking member is aligned with the shape of the opening, and in the locking position, the shape of the locking member is offset by 90 degrees from the shape of the opening, such that a portion of the locking head along the first direction abuts against a portion of the opening along the second direction, thereby achieving a quick connector connection.
[0005] In one embodiment, the locking head of the bracket includes a neck extending therefrom and a locking member at the end of the neck, the locking member forming a first shape. Preferably, the locking head is made of metal, such as an aluminum alloy or a zinc alloy. Making the locking head of metal ensures its strength, but this application is not limited to this, and any suitable material can be used.
[0006] The base also includes a temporary positioning device for temporarily positioning the locking head in the locked position.
[0007] Preferably, the base further includes a position feedback device for indicating the locking position of the locking head.
[0008] In one implementation, the first shape is a runway shape or an ellipse.
[0009] In one embodiment, the biasing device includes a rotating seat rotatably disposed in the outer cover and a spring element (in particular a spring plate) that biases the rotating seat in a direction opposite to the insertion direction.
[0010] In one embodiment, the temporary positioning device includes protrusions and / or recesses formed on the opposing surfaces of the rotating seat and the spring plate, respectively.
[0011] In one embodiment, it further includes a support plate disposed on the inside of the opening, and in the locked position, the support plate abuts against the opposing surface of the locking head. The support plate is preferably made of metal to improve wear resistance and strength, but this application is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the support plate can be formed together with the outer cover by insert molding.
[0012] In one embodiment, the rotary seat further includes an engagement recess disposed on the side of the rotary seat facing the locking member to engage the locking member when the locking member is inserted into the locking space, such that the rotary seat can rotate together with the locking member.
[0013] In one embodiment, the side of the rotating seat facing the spring plate has a rotating plate, and recesses and / or protrusions are formed on the rotating plate. The rotating disk can be fastened to the rotating seat, or fixed to the rotating seat by any means currently known or conceivable in the future.
[0014] To ensure the lifespan of the connector, it is preferable that the spring plate and the rotating plate are made of spring steel. Therefore, by using the quick connector provided by this invention, rapid docking of electronic devices can be achieved through simple actions. Attached Figure Description
[0015] To more clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly described below. The drawings are only used to illustrate some embodiments of the invention and are not limited to all embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, for clarity, the drawings do not correspond precisely to actual dimensions, but rather show embodiments in an enlarged and simplified manner, and the final scope of protection of this disclosure should not be based on the dimensions shown in the drawings.
[0016] Figure 1 An exploded view of the quick connector according to this application is shown;
[0017] Figure 2 A view showing the insertion location of a small electronic device (such as a portable speaker);
[0018] Figure 3A It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken from line AA;
[0019] Figure 3B It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of line BB;
[0020] Figure 4 This is a view showing the locking position of a small electronic device;
[0021] Figure 5A It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view taken by line AA; and
[0022] Figure 5B It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view of line BB. Detailed Implementation
[0023] Preferred embodiments of this application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, this application is illustrated by way of a portable speaker, but it should be understood that this application can be applied to any electronic device (especially small electronic devices), and there are no limitations herein.
[0024] In the following description and the appended claims, directional terms such as “inner” and “outer” are defined, wherein “inner” or “inward” refers to a direction pointing inward of the device itself or in the opposite direction to the external environment, and “outward” or “outer” is the opposite direction to “inward” or “inner”; “front” refers to the direction in which one component points towards the other component when the two components are engaged.
[0025] Figure 1This is an exploded view showing a quick connector according to this application. The quick connector 100 generally includes a bracket 110 and a base 120, and the bracket 110 can be fastened to a supported object (not shown) via a suitable fastening mechanism 200, such as a bicycle handlebar, but this application is not limited thereto, and the bracket 110 can be flexible (such as a strap) to allow small electronic devices to be strapped to an arm via the bracket 110; additionally, although Figure 1 The fastening mechanism 200 shown includes a clip for clamping onto, for example, a handlebar, but this application is not limited to this and other types of fastening mechanisms may be used, or the fastening mechanism may be omitted, for example, where the bracket can be self-supporting. The base 120 will be secured to the small electronic device to be supported.
[0026] The bracket 110 is typically made of plastic or other synthetic materials and includes a locking head 114, which is integrally formed of metal, such as aluminum alloy, zinc alloy, titanium alloy, stainless steel, etc. However, this application is not limited to the metals listed herein, and any material with relatively high hardness and wear resistance, such as synthetic materials, can be used. The locking head 114 can be secured to the bracket 110 by, for example, screws, but this application is not limited to this, and it can be secured to the bracket 110 by welding, riveting, adhesive, or other fixing methods. For aesthetic purposes, a decorative panel (not marked) can be provided to cover the screw locations of the locking head 114. Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown in the cross-sectional view, the locking head 114 includes an outwardly extending generally cylindrical neck 116 and a locking member 118 formed at the end of the neck 116, which is typically elliptical or racetrack-shaped.
[0027] The base 120 is attached to the portable electronic device to be supported, such as... Figure 1 The portable speaker shown allows for the quick attachment of portable electronic devices to a support, such as a bicycle handlebar, via the engagement between the bracket 110 and the base 120.
[0028] The base 120 includes an outer cover 122, a support plate 124 fixedly connected to the outer cover 122, a rotating seat 126 housed in the outer cover 122, a rotating plate 128 fixed together with the rotating seat 126, and a spring plate 130 fixed to the portable electronic device.
[0029] For example, the outer cover 122 is secured to the housing of the portable electronic device by screws (not shown), and a cavity is formed on the side of the rear housing facing the portable electronic device to accommodate the locking head 114 when it is inserted; this cavity is also referred to as the locking space. Additionally, the rear cover 122 also forms a space for accommodating other components of the locking base 120, such as a rotating seat.
[0030] An opening 123 with a shape corresponding to the shape of the locking member 118 (such as a racetrack shape or an ellipse) is formed approximately at the center of the outer cover 122 for receiving the locking member 118. The outer cover 122 is molded from, for example, a plastic material, and the support plate 124 is made of, for example, metal and is fixed to the outer cover 122 at the rear side of the opening 123 by, for example, insert molding. However, the invention is not limited to this, and other materials can be used, and the support plate 124 can be fixed to the outer cover 122 by other fixing methods such as riveting, bonding, clamping, etc. As will be described below, during the locking process, the support plate 124 will rotate and rub against the locking member 118 and prevent the locking member 118 from falling off. Therefore, the support plate 124 needs to be made of a material with high wear resistance and high hardness, and preferably a metal, such as stainless steel. However, the invention is not limited to this, and other materials such as synthetic materials can also be used, and the support plate 124 can be omitted when the strength and wear resistance of the outer cover 122 are sufficient.
[0031] A rotating seat 126 is provided on the inner side of the support plate 124. This rotating seat is generally disc-shaped and rotatably accommodated in a cavity formed at the rear side of the outer cover 122. The rotating seat 126 has an engaging recess (not shown) formed on its side facing the outer cover 122 or the locking member 118. Preferably, for example, the shape of the recess corresponds to the shape of the locking member 118, such that when the locking member 118 is inserted, the recess can rotate with the locking member 118 (locking head). However, this application is not limited to this, as long as the locking member 118 can cooperate with the locking member 118 after being inserted into the opening 123 of the outer cover 122 so as to rotate with the locking member 118. Therefore, other engaging structures, such as protrusions, recesses, and textures, can also be formed on the surface of the rotating seat 126 facing the locking member 118.
[0032] The rotating plate 128 is fixed to the inside of the rotating seat 126 or to the side opposite the engaging recess. This rotating plate is made of metal (especially spring steel), thus giving the rotating plate 128 greater elasticity. The rotating plate 128 rotates together with the rotating seat 126. Figure 1 As shown, the rotary seat 128 has a plurality of protrusions 129 formed on its inner surface or on the side opposite to the rotary seat 126. Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, two protrusions 129 are arranged at 180-degree intervals along the circumference, and these protrusions 129 will cooperate with the spring plate 130 described below.
[0033] The spring plate 130 is fixed to the housing of the portable electronic device and is made of metal (particularly spring steel). On the spring plate 130, four recesses 132 are arranged at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of two protrusions 129 corresponding to the rotating plate 126. During rotation of the rotating plate 126 relative to the spring plate 130, the protrusions 129 on the rotating plate 126 slide on the surface of the spring plate 130 until a pair of protrusions 129 fall into the corresponding recesses 132, thus providing a temporary positioning function and positional feedback to the user.
[0034] Additionally, the spring plate and rotating plate are made of spring steel, thereby applying an outward biasing force to the rotating seat. Therefore, when the locking head is not inserted, the rotating seat is biased to the rear side of the opening to close it. Furthermore, the biasing force eliminates any gap between the locking head and the rear side of the opening during locking.
[0035] Next, we will refer to Figure 2 Figure 5 illustrates the locking process of the quick connector according to this application.
[0036] In the unengaged state, the rotating seat 126 abuts against the rear side of the opening or the rear surface of the support plate by the offset of the rotating plate and the spring plate, thereby closing the opening 123 and preventing dust and the like from falling into the outer cover 122.
[0037] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3A and Figure 3B At the start of engagement, the locking member 118 of the engagement head 112 can be inserted from the opening 123 on the outer cover 122 and pushes the rotating seat 126 inward against the elastic bias of the spring plate and the rotating plate, so that the locking member 118 is located in the locking space inside the support plate 124 and the locking member 118 is fitted into the matching recess on the outside of the rotating seat 126.
[0038] During locking, the small electronic device and the bracket rotate relative to each other, causing the rear surface of the locking member 118 to rotate against the inner surface of the support plate 124. Simultaneously, the locking member 118 drives the rotating seat 126 to rotate, and the rotation of the rotating seat 126 causes the rotating plate 128, fixed to the rotating seat 126, to rotate against the spring plate 130. Therefore, a pair of protrusions 129 on the rotating plate 128 move out of a pair of recesses 132 on the spring plate 130 and rotate around the surface of the spring plate 130. At this time, the biasing of the rotating plate 128 and the spring plate 130 causes the rotating seat 126 to bias outward, thereby applying an outward bias to the locking member 118, causing the locking member 118 to closely abut against the support plate 124 and rotate relative to it.
[0039] When small electronic devices or stands are rotated 90 degrees relative to each other, reference Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B A pair of protrusions 129 on the rotating plate 128 fall into another pair of recesses 132 on the spring plate 130 (a pair of recesses orthogonal to the previous pair), such that the cooperation of the protrusions and recesses provides temporary positioning and position feedback, thereby indicating that the locking head is in the locked position. In this state, as Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, with the biasing force provided by the rotating plate and the spring plate, the locking member 118 of the locking head 114 is tightly abutted against the inner surface of the support plate 124, and the locking head 114 is offset by 90 degrees relative to the opening 123 of the outer cover 122, thereby preventing the locking member 118 from coming out of the opening 123 of the outer cover 122. Furthermore, due to the temporary positioning provided by the protrusion of the rotating plate 128 and the recess of the spring plate 130, the small electronic device will not rotate relative to the bracket even in the presence of some vibration or shaking, thereby preventing the small electronic device from detaching from the bracket.
[0040] When a user wants to remove a small electronic device, they simply rotate the device 90 degrees relative to the stand and... Figure 5A and Figure 5B The state shown returns to Figure 3A and Figure 3B The state shown is sufficient. At this time, the locking member 114 is aligned with the shape of the opening 123 of the outer cover 112, so that the locking member 114 can be removed from the opening 123 of the outer cover 112.
[0041] Therefore, according to this application, a simple and quick connector is provided that can quickly connect small electronic devices to a bracket and support them on other items, such as bicycle handlebars. Through the elasticity of the spring plate and the rotating plate, and the temporary positioning between the spring plate and the rotating plate, the small electronic devices can be stably supported even under certain shaking or vibration.
[0042] While this application has been described above with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements based on an understanding of its essence. These modifications and improvements may include, for example, using different materials or similar structures to achieve the same or similar effects; for instance, the locking component is not limited to a racetrack or elliptical shape, but may have any shape, as long as its dimension along the first direction is smaller than its dimension along the orthogonal direction; and the materials of the components in the above embodiments are not limited to specific materials, but may be selected as needed, such as metals, synthetic materials, etc. These modifications and improvements are intended to fall within the scope of this application as set forth in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A quick connector comprising: support; as well as A base, configured to be fixed to the item to be supported. The bracket includes a locking head having a first shape, the first shape having a first dimension along a first direction and a second dimension along a second direction, the first dimension being different from the second dimension, and the first direction and the second direction being coplanar and orthogonal to each other. The base includes an outer cover that defines a locking space for receiving the locking member and includes an opening having a shape corresponding to the locking head. The base also includes a biasing device that, when the locking head is inserted into the opening, biases the locking head in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. The locking head is capable of being inserted through the opening and rotated 90 degrees to switch between an insertion position and a locking position. In the insertion position, the locking head is aligned with the shape of the opening and is inserted into the locking space against the biasing force of the biasing device. In the locking position, the locking head is rotated 90 degrees away from the opening such that a portion of the locking head abuts against a portion of the outer cover surrounding the opening.
2. The quick connector of claim 1, wherein the locking head includes a neck extending therefrom and a locking member formed at an end of the neck, and the locking member has the first shape.
3. The quick connector of claim 1, wherein the locking head is made of a single piece of metal, such as an aluminum alloy or a zinc alloy.
4. The quick connector of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a temporary positioning device for temporarily positioning the locking head in the locking position.
5. The quick connector of claim 1, wherein the base further includes a position feedback device for indicating the position of the locking head.
6. The quick connector according to claim 1, wherein the first shape is racetrack-shaped or elliptical.
7. The quick connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing device comprises a rotating seat rotatably arranged in the outer cover and a spring element, particularly a spring plate, for biasing the rotating seat in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the locking head.
8. The quick connector according to claim 1, wherein the temporary positioning device comprises protrusions and / or recesses formed on the opposing surfaces of the rotary seat and the spring plate, respectively.
9. The quick connector of claim 8, wherein the engagement between the rotary seat and the protrusion and / or recess of the spring plate provides position feedback.
10. The quick connector of claim 1, further comprising a support plate disposed within the opening, wherein, in the locked position, the support plate abuts against the opposing surface of the locking member.
11. The quick connector of claim 10, wherein the support plate is made of a metal such as stainless steel.
12. The quick connector of claim 11, wherein the support plate is formed together with the outer cover by insert molding.
13. The quick connector of claim 1, further comprising an engagement recess disposed on the side of the rotary seat facing the locking member to engage the locking member when the locking member is inserted into the locking space, such that the rotary seat can rotate together with the locking member.
14. The quick connector of claim 13, wherein a rotating plate is disposed on the side of the rotating seat facing the spring plate, and the recess and / or protrusion are formed on the rotating plate.
15. The quick connector of claim 14, wherein the spring plate and the rotating plate are made of spring steel.
16. An electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a housing and a base of a quick connector according to claim 1, and the base of the quick connector is secured to the housing of the electronic device.